Unlike his almost full season of NASCAR Xfinity Series experience before becoming a regular at Cup Series, Alex Bowmanit’s Camping World Truck Series is quite limited with only one start each in 2015 and 2017. Five years after its last race, it is back in the series as it will race on Saturday XPEL 225 at Circuit of the Americasdriving the No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado RST during Spire Motorsports. HendrickCars.com will sponsor the effort.

After five races in the 2022 Cup season, Bowman is ninth in points with a victory in Las Vegas. Although he finished eighth on his COTA debut in 2021, he intends to use the truck start to get more familiar with the Austin track. In nineteen career starts on the Cup road circuit, he has eight top ten finishes, two top five finishes and a best streak of runners-up at the Charlotte Roval in 2019.

“I’m looking forward to getting back to COTA this weekend and doing as many laps as possible,” Bowman commented. “I had a good run in the Ally Chevrolet Camaro for Hendrick Motorsports last year and being able to drive the Spire Motorsports Chevy Silverado this year will be a big help as we prepare for Sunday.

“The more laps the better in a place like COTA. Spire Motorsports proved at Daytona that they build trucks that can race at the front of the pack, so this weekend will be a great opportunity to get extra siege time and try to race for the win.

Bowman’s first truck start was at the 2015 Michigan Race for JR Motorsports, where he finished eleventh. Two years later, he raced in Atlanta for Supermarket races and ranks sixth.

Spire Motorsports, which fields two full-time Cup cars, has opened a part-time truck program for 2022. Austin Hill finished fifteenth in the No. 7’s first race at Daytona.

“Alex is going to be a great help to our team,” said the co-owner of Spire Motorsports Jeff Dickerson. “He’s a great road racer who is working hard to get even better. Between Alex, (General Manager) Mike Greciand (team leader) Bono Manion, we have a great shot to put our best foot forward on Saturday afternoon. We are grateful to Mr. (Rick) HendrickHendrickCars.com and Ally for support this weekend.

The #7 Silverado will sport a livery resembling the GMAC-sponsored Xfinity car and truck that Hendrick’s deceased son Ricky flown during his flying career. The paint scheme is currently used at Cup level by Bowman’s teammate Hendrick Kyle Larson.